Start with the problem. Not the AI.
Most businesses know AI matters and are not sure where it fits. We start by understanding how your business works, not by trying to sell you a tool. Then we build the security in from the start and keep watch over the things that quietly break.
Most of the SMEs we speak to are in the same place. They know AI could save them time, they know security matters, and they suspect something on the website is quietly out of date. What they are missing is someone who understands all three and will give them a straight answer.
That is what this service is for. Practical AI automation for business that pays for itself, security built in from the start, and monitoring that tells you about problems before your customers do.
Sound familiar?
- Your team spends hours each week copying data between systems, chasing paperwork or answering the same questions.
- Staff are already using ChatGPT or similar tools, with no guidance on what they should and should not put into them.
- You have paid for AI tools that looked great in a demo and never got used.
- Nobody is quite sure who would notice if the website went down, the SSL certificate expired or the domain lapsed.
- A customer, insurer or tender has asked about your security and you are not sure what to tell them.
AI where it makes sense
Through UpshiftAI we look at your processes, the repetitive jobs, the systems you already have and the way your team works, and identify where AI or automation would actually make a difference. From there we implement it, connect it to what you already use and train your team to use it with confidence.
Sometimes the honest answer is that AI is not the right solution and a simpler automation will do. We will tell you that too.
Where automation usually pays off
- Enquiry handling. Sorting, routing and drafting replies to emails and web forms so nothing sits unanswered.
- Document processing. Pulling the details out of invoices, orders, forms and CVs and putting them where they belong.
- Reporting. One weekly summary drawn from several systems, instead of a morning lost to spreadsheets.
- Knowledge search. Letting staff ask questions of your own policies, procedures and product information.
- Customer self-service. Answering routine questions on your website, with a clear handover to a real person.
- Joining up systems. Connecting your CRM, accounts package, online store and inbox so data is entered once.
How an AI project runs
1. Discovery. We look at how work actually flows through the business and where the time goes.
2. Opportunity map. A short list of automations, each with the effort involved, the risks and the likely return. You decide what goes ahead.
3. Pilot. We build the most valuable one first, small enough to prove it works before anything bigger is committed.
4. Roll out and train. We connect it to the tools you already use and train your team, so it becomes part of the job rather than a side project.
Guardrails as standard
Every AI system we build keeps a person in the loop where decisions matter, keeps a record of what it does and is clear about where your data goes. UK GDPR is considered from the outset, and we will not send customer data to a tool that does not need it.
We build AI products ourselves. SkillDrill is our conversational AI built for the workplace, so we know what it takes to run one properly rather than demo one.
Security should not be an afterthought
We help businesses understand and reduce the real risks around their websites, applications and infrastructure. Application security, patch management, authentication, backups and monitoring, built into how we develop and manage technology rather than added at the end.
Mark Grice, our founder, is a trained penetration tester and spent 13 years as CTO of secure software used by police forces in the UK and US. We hold Cyber Essentials. That experience shapes everything from a code review to a staff awareness session.
What we look at
- Websites and web applications, including logins, access control and how customer data is stored.
- Updates and patching across WordPress, plugins, frameworks and servers.
- Backups, and whether anyone has ever tested restoring one.
- Email authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), so criminals cannot easily send email pretending to be you.
- Staff accounts, passwords and multi-factor authentication.
- Older applications that still run the business but no longer get security updates.
What you get
A plain English report that ranks each risk by what it could cost the business, not by how technical it sounds, with a fix list in priority order. We can do the work, or hand the list to your own developers.
- Application and web security reviews.
- Staff awareness training that changes behaviour.
- Technical consultancy on your actual exposure.
- Legacy application risk reduction.
Cyber security training for your team
Know before your customer does
Websites rarely fail spectacularly. It is the expired SSL certificate, the forgotten domain renewal, broken DNS, poor email authentication or a WordPress update nobody noticed. TLDTrack brings monitoring across all your websites and domains into one dashboard, so you find out first.
What TLDTrack checks
- Uptime, SSL and DNS monitoring.
- Domain renewal and email authentication checks.
- Performance and change monitoring.
- Built for agencies and businesses running more than one site.
Would you rather someone looked after the website for you? Our website maintenance and managed hosting takes care of updates, backups and security so you do not have to.
Build it. Protect it. Monitor it.
Most businesses buy these things separately. An AI consultant who never thinks about security, a developer who never looks at the site again after launch, and nobody watching the domain. Automation joins systems together and moves data between them, so if it is not built carefully it creates new ways in. Doing all three together means your automations are secure from day one and something is watching once they are live.
You work directly with Mark and the people doing the work. No account managers and no hand-off to a support desk.
Related services
- AI for business. Practical, supervised AI built into the way you work.
- Training. WordPress, cyber security and AI awareness for your team.
- Website maintenance and managed hosting. Updates, backups, security and uptime handled for you.
- Prototype to production. Making AI-built apps secure enough for real customers.
Further reading
- Can AI automate business workflows safely?
- AI integration for business that pays off
- A guide to business process automation
- What causes website security breaches in business?
- WordPress security and maintenance
- Brand and website monitoring
Not sure where AI or security fits in your business? Request a callback with Mark and start with the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need to be a technical business to use AI?
No. Most of the automation that pays off in small and medium businesses is unglamorous: less copying and pasting, less chasing, faster replies. We explain everything in plain English and train your team to run it day to day.
How do you decide whether AI is the right answer?
We look at the task, how often it happens, how much time it takes and what goes wrong when it is done badly. If a simple rule-based automation or a change to a system you already have will do the job, we recommend that instead. It is usually cheaper and more reliable.
Is it safe to put our business data into AI tools?
It can be, if the right tools are chosen and set up properly. We check where data is processed and stored, what the provider does with it and whether personal data needs to be involved at all. We can also help you put a simple AI use policy in place so staff know what is and is not allowed.
How much does an AI or security project cost?
It depends on the scope, so every project starts with a conversation. We agree the scope and cost before any work begins, and the opportunity map shows the likely return on each automation so you can decide what is worth doing.
Can you help us get Cyber Essentials?
We hold Cyber Essentials ourselves, so we know what the assessment asks for. We can review where you stand against the requirements and help you close the gaps before you apply.
Do you carry out penetration testing?
Mark is a trained penetration tester and our security reviews look at your systems the way an attacker would. If a contract or insurer asks for a formal accredited test, we will tell you what it needs to cover and help you get it scoped properly.
What does TLDTrack monitor?
Uptime, SSL certificates, DNS, domain renewals, email authentication, performance and changes, across every website and domain you run, all from one dashboard. It is built for agencies and businesses with more than one site.
Do you work with businesses outside Cornwall?
Yes. We are based in Cornwall and work with businesses across the UK. Most of the work is done remotely, so where you are makes no difference to how we work together.